Private eye closes in on Madeleine

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In a fresh development in the search for the Leicestershire youngster, Gerry and Kate McCann have been informed of a reported sighting of their daughter in a car with a woman.

It came ahead of an interview broadcast on US television network CBS, in which Fransisco Marco, head of the Spanish private detective agency hired by the McCanns, said he was certain the four-year-old was alive and that the agency was closing in on the abductor.

The McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said: "He is very confident. He is 100% certain that she is alive and believes that they are 'very, very close' to finding the kidnapper.

"Naturally we are extremely encouraged by any indication by our investigators that things are going well. But there have been a number of leads that have come to nothing and Kate and Gerry remain cautious."

Mr Mitchell confirmed that a new sighting of Madeleine at an undisclosed location in Portugal on May 5 was now being investigated.

But he added: "This is very much an ongoing inquiry by our investigators. We will not comment on individual sightings."

Madeleine, from Rothley, went missing from her holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3 as her parents dined nearby with friends.

The McCanns, both still official suspects in her disappearance, hired agency Metodo3 to boost efforts to find their daughter.

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Marco said he thought Madeleine is alive in Morocco and that he was already following up reported sightings.